Producer
Located in the Maremma, Tuscany’s rising star of a region, the eyewateringly beautiful Le Mortelle estate has belonged to the Antinori family since 1999. It is named after the wild myrrh – mortella – found in this part of the Tuscan coast, and indeed the fostering of local flora and fauna is a central aim of the estate, which includes fifteen hectares of organic orchards in addition to the vineyards.
Vineyard
160 hectares of the Le Mortelle estate is planted to vines. The soil is sandy loam, with clay, silica, and some more stony sections. The grapes were hand-picked into small crates. The Cabernet Franc was picked in late September, while the Cabernet Sauvignon harvest took place during the first week of Octoberand that of the Carménère immediatelyafterwards.
Winery
After a selection on sorting tables, the grapes were destemmed and crushed. The must was then fermented for twenty days at 28ºC in conical stainless steel tanks, with delicate extraction. The wine was racked to oak barrels (fifty percent new) for malolactic fermentation and fourteen months’ ageing.
